


In The Summertime

by daggersandribbons



Series: Gotham U! [2]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, College AU, Ed’s a jealous bb, Hot Tub Sex, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Multi, Non-Consensual Voyeurism, Open Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-15 22:51:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18678931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daggersandribbons/pseuds/daggersandribbons
Summary: Its summertime at Gotham University!





	In The Summertime

_In the summertime when the weather is hot. You can stretch right up and touch the sky. - Mungo Jerry_

Ed entered the dorm and immediately shucked off his shirt. It was too damn hot outside. Oswald was fixated on a picture in a magazine. It was a picture of a model wearing black lipstick and a red smoky eye. He seemed upset at the image. 

“Whatcha looking at love?” Ed inquired. Oswald didn’t answer. He was a confident man, never shying away from something he liked even if it was feminine. Chokers, fishnets, heels, and on more than one occasion a dress. But makeup was a territory he’d yet to enter besides for Halloween. 

“What’s wrong?” Ed tried to figure out what was so upsetting about the image. He scanned the other side of the spread to see if anything in the article would push Oswald’s hot button. 

“I’m too ugly to do something like this.” Oswald murmured. Ed frowned. His boyfriend was the most beautiful man he’d ever seen and to hear him say he was ugly upset him. 

“Had by few but treasured by all,  
I'm on the inside and outside and I make men fall. What am I?” 

The tall man kneeled onto one knee and grabbed Oswald’s hand. 

“It was beauty. You’re beautiful and I will...” he paused “...punch anyone who says otherwise. We’ll go to a makeup store and buy some today if you want. You don’t even have to leave the dorm wearing it, although I think you’d look stunning.” 

Tears in his eyes, Oswald pinned Ed onto the floor and kissed him. He ran his hand over Ed’s bare chest, booping each little love bite that remained from previous love making sessions. Each one a reminder of Oswald’s love, even if no one else got to see them. To be fair, Oswald had his share of love bites too. The only difference was his were centralized on his neck and thighs. Ed loved a neck and Oswald didn’t mind letting the world see that he was Ed’s. They continued kissing as they switched positions. Ed held Oswald’s wrists to the ground while he lapped at his lovers neck. 

“You _ah!_ know we have restraints for this exact purpose.” Oswald squeaked. 

“Yes, but because of someone we don’t have a headboard for them anymore.” Since living together two beds turned to one then to a bigger one. They had a lovely wooden headboard, which Oswald broke during a tantrum. Granted it wasn’t just his fault, many nights of bondage had weakened it, but his tantrum was the straw that broke the camels back so to speak. 

He was already pissed off after a run in with Isabella, rum and a misplaced shoe simply fueled the fire. Rum made Oswald an angry drunk, so when he tripped over a shoe it sent him spiraling into a fit of anger. He was cussing and carrying on before Ed got there, he just happened to come in at the wrong time. Oswald chucked the high top sneaker with softball pitcher speed at the headboard. The headboard smacked against the wall and as if in slow motion the couple heard a loud _crack_. Ed’s eyes widened and Oswald cowered to the other side of the room. Upon inspection, the shoe had deepened a crack that had been forming since the day they bought it off of a lovely Korean couple on Craigslist. 

“Oh hush, just tie me down like furniture.” Oswald stated. 

“Nothing sexier than the image of moving a recliner.” Ed joked. Oswald gently shoved him. 

“Why am I a recliner? I’d like to believe I’m an expensive armoire.” 

Zsasz entered the dorm uninvited. He was dressed in turquoise swim trunks that had tiny pink flamingo and nothing else, not even shoes. 

“Victor, what did we discuss about knocking?” Oswald tilted his head back to look at his friend. “What are you wearing?” 

“Ivy has a pool, came over to invite you guys.” 

While Oswald was excited, Ed was apprehensive. One of them saw it as an opportunity to get out of the heat, the other saw it as two hours of a movie called “Ivy and Alvarez pass Zsasz back and forth like a toy.” He didn’t understand how Alvarez could share his partner, even if he shared with the opposite sex. Then again Ed was territorial, whether male, female, or anything in between, he didn’t want to share Oswald with anyone. 

“How does she have a pool in Gotham? No one has enough yard space for one.” Ed inquired. Oswald giggled. 

“Ed my dear, indoor pools exist. But he does have a point, I thought that she lived in that apartment building I used to live in. There’s no pool there.” 

“She’s volunteering at some old people place and they have a pool and a jacuzzi that no one uses. The old people say the pools too cold and the jacuzzi is too hot so come on let’s go!”

In a battle of morals against cooling off, cooling off won. Luckily Oswald had just gotten them both new swimwear. For Ed, green swim-trunks with giraffes on surfboards. For Oswald, black swim-trunks with neon hearts. While Oswald swam laps, Ed and Alvarez stood together. Ed looked over at Zsasz, who was helping Ivy do an underwater handstand. 

“How do you do it? Seeing him with her would tear me apart.” Ed asked. 

“I don’t see it that way. Though he’s primarily mine, we share him. Her and I give him different things, and we both love him. Plus, I know what you’re thinking, it’s not just sex. We have movie nights, the other night the three of us went out to dinner. It’s more about enjoying each other’s company. We do have set individual date nights though, she gets him on Wednesday and Friday which are the days when my course work is usually busiest anyways. I’m not afraid that he loves her more, if anything I know he loves me more.” Alvarez explained. “That being said, it’s definitely not for everyone. There are perks to monogamy, like you and Oswald. That’s a relationship I don’t think needs anything added.”

Oswald swam over to Ed, running his hand over his partners groin under the water. Ed’s cheeks turned pink as Oswald pulled him into a kiss. 

“You’re like a marble statue, so smooth and handsome.” Oswald remarked. 

“Oh, so statues are handsome? I knew I saw you making eyes at the founders statue.” Ed joked. 

“Hush.” His boyfriend murmured against his neck. “If it were just us here, I’d love nothing more than to turn your pretty little brain off and make you feel so good.” 

Ed wasn’t sure what brought on the sudden generosity, but he wasn’t going to object. His eyes scanned the room to find a secluded place to bury himself in his boyfriend. 

“How about the hot tub dear? The jets will disguise anything under them and there’s temperature control so we don’t dehydrate.” He pointed out. Oswald nodded and the couple waddled across the wet tile together to the hot tub.

While they waiting for the jets to turn on, Oswald sat on his lap and teased him through the thin swim trunk material. Once the bubbles began, Ed quickly pulled his trunks down enough to pull his cock out and promptly stick it in Oswald. The fast pace plus the lack of lube caused him to let out a sharp gasp as Ed filled him. 

“Hush my love, wouldn’t want them hearing you...Or maybe you do. Do you want our friends to know that you’re daddy’s loyal pet? Daddy’s pretty little kitten.” Ed groaned in Oswald’s ear. His partner nodded eagerly, he didn’t trust himself to not cry something out. All Ed really had to do was sit there, Oswald swiveling and bucking his hips while he rode Ed’s cock. 

They thought they were being completely discreet, to them it was a covert operation. But there are two sides to most things, and Zsaszs happened to be filled with watching his best friend gets fucked. 

“Zsaszy, what are you loo- oh my Goddess are they seriously having sex in the hot tub?” Ivy asked. Zsasz nodded. 

“I think they’re in some twilight zone. Like this building could be on fire and they’d keep going. It’s kind of interesting though, like a car crash you can’t look away from.” He commented. 

Ed snaked his arm into Oswald’s trunks and began stroking his boyfriends hard cock. 

“Fuck are you trying to kill me?” Oswald hissed. The jets stopped and Ed slowed his pace, turning Oswald’s brain to mush. All he could do was stare with wide, begging eyes; he wasn’t even aware he was staring directly at Zsasz. The best friends were engaged in a staring contest, the bald male was just seeing how long Oswald would stare. At this point all eyes were on the couple as they reached the finish line.

“This was a great idea.” Ed groaned into Oswald’s neck as he thrust his hips upwards one last time, filling his partner. The shorter male instinctively flopped forward once he finished, letting Ed remove himself and getting a face full of moderately hot jacuzzi water. 

“Did that wake you up Pengy?” Ivy asked. 

“Maybe he needs a dip in the pool to wake him up.” Alvarez suggested, and with that Zsasz was heading to the ladder and skidding across the floor while Ed rushed to make himself decent. For being kind of scrawny, Zsasz was excellent at carrying dead weight. You don’t befriend a bunch of alcoholic brats and not get used to carrying one out of a bar or club because they “just caaaaaaan’t.” 

Zsasz tossed Oswald into the pool, his limbs flailing as he tried to grasp at the air. 

“You bitch!” He yelled before being enveloped by the water with a _splash!_ Like a penguin emerging from Arctic waters, Oswald stood up. “What the- why the- are you an idiot?!”

“Probably. At least I’m not an idiot who just rode his boyfriend in front of three very attractive innocent bystanders.” Zsasz retorted. 

“Victor Jellybean Zsasz you are the person who once made me get up from the couch to throw away a used condom for you.” Oswald didn’t know Zsasz’s middle name so when the time came he just made up one. 

“Touché. Man that hot twink on twink action really worked up my appetite. Let’s go get some of those pudding cups.” Zsasz said. Ivy kissed his cheek. 

“Those are for the residents that can’t take pills the normal way.” She told him. 

“If I have to take a pill to get pudding, I guess I can oblige.” 

“I have pudding at the dorm.” Alvarez interjected. Zsasz smiled and kissed him. 

“You’re so smart.”

~

“Promise me you’ll behave?” Ed asked, tying his boyfriends rainbow shoe laces. Ivy, Barbara, and Oswald were going out to a club while Alvarez, Jim, and Ed had an equally exciting task: making and studying vocabulary cards. 

“I should be telling you that. Multicolored highlighters, flash cards, _and_ pizza? I sure hope you don’t get the cops called on you.” His painted lips pressed into Ed’s, he figured there was no better place than to try wearing some makeup than a dimly lit club. 

“Just promise me you’ll call me if you end up sleeping at Ivy’s.” Ed wanted him to promise a million more things: to not start spending money on impulse things after drinking, to not drink Fireball because it’ll give him heartburn, to come home quick so Barbara didn’t have a chance to try to find Oswald a new boyfriend.

Hot pizza, cold alcohol, and dozens of flash cards. Every twenty cards, the trio took a shot. Eighty flash cards and four shots in, Alvarez was by the pizza, Ed was going through his music, and Jim was working on the cards.

“CBCA, or criteria based content analysis. What’s the definition?” The blonde male asked. 

“Jim, you date women. Ed, you’re dating a man. Have you ever considered the opposite?” Alvarez inquired. He was used to beer and sips of Zsasz’s drinks, so the whiskey shots were kicking his ass. 

“I’ve dated women before Oswald. There was Kristen, and Isabella...that’s it. They were special in their own ways, but Oswald is truly spectacular. He’s funnier, he’s certainly a better lover, and-“

“He complains like a woman.” Jim interjected. 

“Whoa, sexist much? Sounds like someone’s upset that his girlfriend is not so secretly jilling off some club girl. Ivy says her name is Tabby or something. Like a cat, heh isn’t that funny?” Alvarez monologued. “Maybe you should start pursuing men, like freshman year.”

“Ooh, what happened freshman year? Did he kiss a boy and like it?” Ed inquired. 

“Did Oswald never tell you? Jimmy here lent him a helping hand _all_ freshman year.” Alvarez snickered. Ed’s smile faded. 

“What does that mean?”

No answer

“Jim, did you and Oswald date?” 

“I wouldn’t call it dating per say...”

Ed gritted his teeth. Oswald was allowed to date people before they met, it’d be crazy to assume otherwise. But when that other person was blonde, handsome, and his lab partner he couldn’t help imagining them flirting and having sex. Jim couldn’t have touched Oswald right, that was something only Ed could do. He must’ve treated Oswald poorly, they’d otherwise be together. 

“Don’t get upset. He was drinking a lot and doing bad shit, most nights he’d show up at my dorm and I’d keep him from choking on his vomit. He’d stay with me for a few days and claim he was going to get better. Sure some things happened between us, but it was stress relief.” Jim explained. 

Ed knew that Oswald’s first year at Gotham University was rough. Fresh off losing his mother AND father, he didn’t take school very seriously. Vodka in a water bottle to get him through class and then spending every night at a bar, he spent more time on bathroom floors than studying. A full ride scholarship meant he had plenty of money for pills to take and liquor to wash them down. It wasn’t until he met Zsasz that he subbed out habitual pill popping for recreational marijuana usage. All of that didn’t stop Ed from being upset with Jim. 

“Stress relief, you’re saying my Oswald was nothing better than a quick fuck? You aren’t worthy of touching him and you never have been.” Ed hissed. Now Jim didn’t have any feelings for Oswald anymore, but if Ed was going to throw a tantrum he could probably manage to dig up some old feelings. 

“I was worthy of touching him when he begged me to get him off. He said he needed the touch of a man...bet he still asks for it.” Jim said snidely. “Truly Ed, are you so insecure that you’re bringing something up from before you were even here? Jesus why don’t you just put yourself on a leash and follow him around since you want to act like a little bitch.”

Ed had never punched someone before, prior to the exchange he wasn’t sure he knew how to, but when Jim toppled to the ground he knew he’d done something right. 

“I think you knocked him out. At least I hope he’s not dead. Wish I would’ve got that on camera, Vic will be so jealous that he missed this!” Alvarez took another shot then left the room to call his male counterpart. 

“You two definitely deserve each other.” 

_Remember when we saw that one legged pigeon before you left this morning? Yeah, no this is the new best thing that’s happened today._

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

_Gordon called Nygma a bitch!_

“ _You_ act like it’s not one.”

 _I should probably get out there before someone turns this dorm room into a crime scene._

The rest of the cards were filled out in silent haste and Ed was in bed by ten p.m. He didn’t remember falling asleep but when he looked at his phone next it was nearly three and he had a voicemail from Ivy. The call was from a few minutes before he opened his eyes, so she’d likely call back soon. He decided to check the message. 

“Heeeeeey!- Oswald get out of the puddle! -anywho we’re on our way to a tattoo parlor and Oswald looks perpetually sixteen so can you bring his ID? Should I get my lip pierced? Hurry!” Ivy rambled. Rolling out of bed with a groan, he slipped on his shoes on. He hadn’t bothered to take his clothes off before bed.

“Ivy? What tattoo parlor are you at?” Ed asked as he walked down the hall and to the stairs. 

“The one with the light up sign!” Barbara replied. “Reds trying to convince Pengy to get best friend nipple piercings.”

“Oh dear.” He muttered. “Barbara, look across the street. What’s the store across the street?” 

“Its an arcade.”

When Ed arrived to the tattoo parlor, he was too late to stop Oswald from getting into the tattoo chair. The man with his fishnets around his ankles as his thigh was being inked. Ivy nearly tackled Ed. 

“Zsaszy said that Law and Order Special Victor Unit told him that you and Jim got in a fight.” She giggled. 

“I wouldn’t call it a fight if he didn’t hit back.” He replied as he quickly walked over to Oswald. 

The bright eyed men grinned at him, he wasn’t plastered but was definitely drunk enough to make any refutable tattoo shop owner deny him service. But then again, the artist had never met Oswald. Maybe she just assumed that he was a naturally happy go lucky guy. 

“Please tell me you didn’t get anything below the mouth pierced, especially not anything in the genital region because you’re my everything but I don’t want to taste metal every night.” Ed jokingly pled. Oswald smiled up at him. 

“Don’t look at it yet!” He whined. Ed crouched beside the bed on the opposite side. 

“Oswald, what did you do tonight?” He asked. Being in a relationship with Oswald means you can tell how drunk he is by what pet name he’d respond to honestly in a public place. Starting with the formal Oswald, then Ozzie/Os, then bird/birdy. From that point on was varying levels of what the common human knows at blackout drunk and the friend group referred to as dumb blonde drunk (such pet names included: baby, bunny, and angel). 

“I didn’t do anything, I’m honestly not even drunk.” 

“ _Tsk_ I bet. So was it more than alcohol and pot? Did little bird meet up with his old friends? Like E, or maybe the one that started with A. What was her name...Addy something?” Oswald’s eyes didn’t even flutter down in guilt, he didn’t realize what Ed was saying. 

“Baby...” he whispered. Oswald dilated eyes stared at Ed. “Baby, after this can we go home? I wanna take a nap.” He murmured into his ear. Oswald nodded softly, Baby level drunk Oswald needed soft touches and gentle tones of voice. The artist said she was done and Ed carried Oswald to the mirror to see it. It was a green cartoon conversation heart with an E in the center. 

Most people would be weirded out to know that their partner got a tattoo for their significant others after two and a half semesters of knowing each other; but Ed felt honored. No one had ever loved him enough to do something so permanent. 

“I love it.” The tall male said, and Oswald hummed against him. From there they headed to their dorm. Ed was upset that Oswald had been so reckless, especially after doing so well. But he decided to save the scolds for when Oswald was more in his right mind. This Oswald needed to be babied.

Music played on Oswald’s laptop as Ed prepared him some leftover Chinese food. He flipped through the mental list of pills he’d remembered Oswald having a past with. Setting the bowl on the bed, Ed took Oswald’s hand.

“Baby, can you tell me if you took any pills this color? It’s kind of light orange.” 

Oswald nodded. 

“How about pink?” 

Oswald nodded. 

“Blue?” 

Oswald shook his head no. 

“Are there any others you took?” But Ed didn’t get so lucky, as Oswald’s eyes widened and he stumbled to the bathroom to vomit before he could answer.

When the inevitable hangover ended, Ed decided to flip the switch on his emotions back to on. 

“You realize how idiotic that was? I mean sure the tattoo is beautiful but pills _and_ alcohol? Do you want end back up in the hospital? Or would you rather almost get your scholarship revoked?” Ed scolded. 

“Yes I know, you’re so much smarter because you had to work hard to get here. Newsflash: it’s not how hard you work, it’s about how far you go. You can’t chastise me for having connections!”

This was typical of an argument between the two: one turning the argument into a completely unrelated argument before acknowledging the original at all. 

“First of all, it’s not connections if it’s family. Second of all, that’s not even the point I’m trying to make...just listen! The problem I’m having is that you said you were done with pills, remember how you told me they were poison and almost ruined your life? Why do them again?” Ed asked. He truly wanted to know the answer. 

“Alcohol can make me feel down sometimes...” Oswald started, fidgeting with the strings on his blanket. “I don’t like being that downer person, so I usually go smoke or cheer up around you or Zsasz, but Babs was grinding up on her girlfriend and Ivy was nowhere to be found. I-I just felt weak okay?!” He snapped defensively, tears brimming his eyes. Oswald didn’t like to feel weak and admitting he was feeling weak was hard for him. It was the reason he didn’t admit he had a problem until Zsasz confronted him on a night that would’ve led him to a watery grave. 

Had Zsasz not taken initiative, Oswald would’ve gone to a party across town. From there he’d get embarrassed by a handsome man and subsequently bury his feelings in cheap booze and pills, and end up tripping over his own feet headfirst into a pool. 

“Why do you even hang out with Barbara? She’s one of the most vitriolic people I’ve ever met.” Ed asked. 

“This isn’t Barbara’s fault. She wasn’t even at the table.” Oswald tried to argue. His boyfriend removed his glasses and neatly sat them down before pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“She wasn’t at the table because she was too busy to play grab ass with her girlfriend when she has a boyfriend at home...this is about Jim isn’t it? You stay friends with her to keep him in your life.” Ed was doing what he did best: unconsciously convincing people why they don’t need him. 

“You’re joking right? Do you seriously think so poorly of me?” and Oswald was doing his: getting defensive instead of dropping the argument. 

“It’d make sense. He’s more conventionally handsome, he’s strong, and he smells like leather all the time somehow.” 

Both of them realized what the other was doing, but not that they themselves were doing anything. Oswald stacked a few of his textbooks, stepped onto them so he was face to face with his boyfriend, and hugged him. 

“I love you, you beautiful idiot.” His voice was muffled by Ed’s shirt. Ed wrapped his arms around him and burrowed his nose into Oswald’s hair. Though they both used the same green apple shampoo, Oswald’s hair smelled citrusy from his hairspray. 

“I don’t like you being so tall, could you imagine the ego you’d have at six foot tall?” Ed chuckled. Oswald wrapped his arms around Ed’s neck as he lifted him up. “See? I can be strong too.”

“My strong, handsome man. There’s no one I’d rather be with, even if you care too much about the opinions of sheep.” Oswald giggled.

The next few weeks were kind of rough. Ed was slammed with school work and spent most nights at Alvarez’s dorm. They were in the midst of a particularly intense study session when Ed’s phone dinged, and Alvarez’s dinged soon after. 

“It’s probably another text reminding us that another soul crushing test is tomorrow.” Ed mumbled as Alvarez checked his phone. 

The look on his face concerned Ed. This wasn’t a bad grade face, this was genuine concern. Before he asked, Ed decided to check his own phone. 

**_Message From_** : **My Handsome Penguin**  
 _Ivy’s got a sprout in the pot! Do you think it’ll be an agave plant or a snowdrop?_

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! I had a lot of fun writing this :) 
> 
> I take suggestions on my social medias!  
> Tumblr: girlwiththetechnicolorheart   
> Instagram: cobblehottie


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